John Thune

CCD has just destroyed beehives all across the country, and the losses that our bee producers are incurring continue to mount and to pile up.

If there's anything positive in all this, I think it's the fact that many airlines seem to be changing policies as a result of some internal reviews and some self-examination.

I hope all of the attention that is now being paid to the treatment of passengers will lead to long-term and meaningful improvements in the passenger experience.

Safety is still the paramount consideration in air travel, and the current level of safety is something of which we all can be proud.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 5:44 p.m., adjourned until Wednesday, April 26, 2017, at 9:30…

Safety is always the top priority when it comes to air travel.

Access to the national air transportation system is a serious concern for those who live or work long distances from even the smallest airports.

I hope that during the remainder of your term you will redouble your efforts to help put the IRS back on the right path.

I think this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to simplify the tax code, which is critical to taxpayers.

We are here today to discuss a very important issue for the U.S. economy, and that's the technical skills gap among our workforce.

I thank you again for taking this on. We look forward to working with you, and not only on, as I said, this Farm Bill, but the one to come, which we will be getting started on very soon.

Will you be willing to work with me and my staff on these issues to make improvements in program administration and make sure those programs are operating in the way in which Congress intended?

It's important that we stay ahead of our adversaries and that we're constantly looking for new and better ways.

I commend this Committee's leadership and support, especially Chairman Thune's efforts in regard to the Cybersecurity Framework proposed by NIST.

As chairman, I've made it a priority for this committee to focus on emerging technologies.

We need to ensure that our cybersecurity policies are robust and effective.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership on this issue and on our committee.

Thank you for holding this hearing, 'Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Innovation, Integration, Successes, and Challenges.'

Thank you, Senator Thune and Senator Nelson, for your leadership in having this critical section included.

Chairman Thune, your long-time friendship and support at the Federal level is deeply appreciated.

These transportation safety issues have been and will continue to be a major focus of this committee.

The Commerce Committee's work accounted for almost half of the 500 or so pages in that final bill.

Senators Wicker and Booker formed a team to reauthorize rail safety programs.

Senator Fischer was key to the reforms in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

We also have seen a disturbing trend in recent years whereby some of our trading partners have ignored their international commitments, particularly with respect to intellectual property protection.